Vocals......

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Member Since: Feb 17, 2003

What can i do when we are playing live, and the vocals are not sound right? They seem squashed, and you cant understand the words. What can i do?

Thanks
Jason

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Contributor
Since: Sep 09, 2002


Jun 13, 2003 10:13 pm

need more information. (1)are they just too quiet? a compressor and/or more gain on the mic might help, but you might encounter feedback. (2)describe what's going into the PA. i found it hard to hear the vox in a band i was in when we had the rhythm guitar and bass guitar plugged directly into the same PA. all the mid frequencies hashed together and made a nasty mess.

describe your set-up a little more.

Member
Since: Feb 17, 2003


Jun 13, 2003 10:34 pm

bass direct in mixer is only thing directly in.

just seems like a mids mess
what should i do to fix that?

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jun 14, 2003 06:25 am

Are you recording to a multi-track format, or just to a finshed, two track stereo recording?

Recording vocal live are a drag, it's hard to do. If you can, I would suggest trying to gte at least the vocal recorded seperately. Get a small 4-track recorder if you can (or bigger) and record as many mics to different tracks as you can. That way after the gig you can go home, plug it in and EQ each track to get them out of each others way and further process the sound to your liking...or closer anyway...

Contributor
Since: Sep 09, 2002


Jun 14, 2003 08:01 am

i don't think he's trying to record. just clean up their live sound. But yeah, some EQ on the offending instrumments will let some needed vox thru.

also, when i was plugging my bass in direct to the PA mixer along with the vox a bass note would always seem to cut the singer out. We fixed it by turning me (bass) down, but then you couldn't hardly hear me! We didn't have the right equipment I guess.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jun 14, 2003 08:58 am

DOH!, you're right, my bad...I dunno where the heck I got recording from...it was early :-)

Does it sound that way in all rooms you play in? Have you rung our the room with a good graphic EQ? Compressed the vocals?

Contributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002


Jun 14, 2003 09:25 am

Cut at 300Hz on the bass to remove some squelch - then notch out around 1Khz.

Boost the Vocals at 1.8Khz for a presence lift - that should help things a bit.

jues.

Member
Since: Feb 17, 2003


Jun 14, 2003 10:31 am

what do you mean my notch?
thanks
lol

the only eq i have is for the mains (alesis m-eq 230). That is what i adjust with right?

Thanks
Jason

Contributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002


Jun 14, 2003 11:38 am

Ahh - do you not have EQ on every channel?

Notch means to select just one area to work on - in this case, it means remove around 1Khz.

jues.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jun 14, 2003 07:57 pm

Just as a suggestion, maybe you could use an inline vocal processor before the signal gets to the mixer, something like these here:

service.bfast.com/bfast/c...mp;bfmtype=gear

or it's big brother:

service.bfast.com/bfast/c...mp;bfmtype=gear

That would allow you to treat the vocals with addiional care to make them clearer. Vocals are important, it's worth time and money to make them sound good.

Contributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002


Jun 14, 2003 09:11 pm

I agree that vocals are essential to a good recording, but I will disagree on your method of ariving there... (just to be difficult! :)

I would personally get a Behringer Vocal Composer, - (those little 1u rack units that have a compressor, EQ and De-Essing in the signal chain) - This could then easily be instered into the vocal channel's send a return loop to EQ and treat the vocals correctly.

Hmm - I just looked at your profile - are you using your Behringer MX2442a as the mixer? If so, you should have no problem applying some EQ on the way in to sort that problem out.

The more info you give us, the more help we can be...

jues.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jun 14, 2003 09:39 pm

Now, nowhere did I say I felt that was the best way to do the job, because it's not, BUT, there are benefits to it, for one they are reletively inexpensive, two, they can do many things, though not THE BEST at any of them, they are capable. Three, it also allows the vocalist to change things him or herself with the foot pedals to add fun things like an echo on the voice occassionaly for affect and things like that.

I find for the average "local band" (if that is what they are) it's hard to do some of that with the house soundman at gigs, or if the band has rotating sound guys...that way much can be controlled by the singer, not the sound man. In smaller venues with smaller gigs and such, the less people the band has to depend on the better.

I was thinking kinda outside the box and beyond what the original problem was and trying to help solve that along with a few other benefits.

The best solution, no, but a very viable one depending on their situation, staffing and budget.

Member
Since: Feb 17, 2003


Jun 14, 2003 10:59 pm

yeah, we are using the mx2442a mixer. i just dont know how to sort the prblem. do i mess with the highs, mids, lows.... i havent a clue. sorry for being so clueless on this.

Thanks

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